Dan Wilcox

was actually Sunday Fifth Poetry, the reading moved this month to avoid the Xmas craziness. This afternoon’s featured poet was Philip Good, but first the open mic & other business (you’ll see).

First up was Alan Casline in his new cap, with a conversation of poets in the woods, “Anthology from Another Time,” then a poem about the Newtown shootings, “Cup of Sorrow.” I followed in a different vein with 2 cynical break-up poems, “Trailer Park” & “Adirondack Life.” Dennis Sullivan‘s poems were discursive, philosophical, on mortality, the big topics, “I Am the Richest of Men,” & “Only Moments Ago,” a poem for his granddaughter in response to a poem she wrote.

Mimi Moriarty & her brother Frank Desiderio read together whenever Frank is in town, going through their poems & finding pairs or “companion pieces,” as Mimi calls them. Today they were seasonal/holiday poems, beginning with Frank’s “Christmas,” then Mimi’s “First Snowfall.” Frank’s poem “Boxing Day” was about putting things away, Mimi responded with a concrete poem in the shape of a Xmas tree, “Bare Tree.” Frank’s poem “God’s Name” was theological pondering on how we human’s try to define the divine, while Mimi read her marvelous poem about putting up her creche, “Two Wisemen & a Buddha.”

Edie Abrams, who had been introducing each of our poets, was next with the poem she had promised last month, responding to a poem by Dennis Sullivan, her poem titled “Eternity (to DS, in memory of ADW),” then a redux of a poem from last year, “The White Bear 2”, on memory, again. Either Obeeduid‘s poems were untitled or I missed them in a mumble in some arcane language, like his first poem on writing & poetry & sound, with a subtitle like a software release (appropriate enough since he was reading his poems from an iPad); the other 2 poems the result of his delving into his family history, even creating some of his own history.

I was pleased to see Ron Pavoldi at an open mic again & when he got up to read he underscored how long it must have been by remarking that he had never seen someone read from an iPad (!); his first poem “Puncture Wound” was to his father, then a poem, “Then the Stars,” about a wonderful concept of rearranging the stars — I want to do that! Sue Petrie followed with a just-written poem (untitled?) reacting to the shooting in Newtown, CT, filled with bullets & history. Humor in poetry is Joe Krausman‘s stock-in-trade so it was no surprise he read a poem titled “Can God Take a Joke?” then an anti-New Year’s resolution resolution poem. Philomena Moriarty also used her iPad to read her poems, 3 meditative, discursive Buddhist poems, 2 on the theme of walking & meditating.

Before the featured poet read, Dennis Sullivan presented the 2012 Arthur Dare Willis Award to Alan Casline “for his outstanding contribution to poets & poetry.” Alan is the director of the Rootdrinker Institute & published of Benevolent Bird Press & in both roles makes the work of local poets available to the wider poetry community through chapbooks, broadsides & readings, a true poetry-activist. The annual Award is named in honor of Arthur Dare Willis (1936 – 2010), a teacher at Voorheesville High School, a poet, philosopher & mentor.

The featured poet was Philip Good, who read “a few older poems, a few newer ones” before reading a selection from his book, Untitled Writings from a Member of the Blank Generation (Trembling Pillow Press, 2011). The reference to the “Blank Generation” is to the 1970’s punk anthem, “Blank Generation” by Richard Hell. The older poems were “In the Park,” “Location” (at an art gallery/museum) & a piece on Dada from the on-going Tsatsawassa Papers. His newer poems took on a decidedly newsy, if not political, complexion: “After Super Storm Sandy,” “Parents with Guns…,” & “Shortest Day of the Year.” Then on to a selection from Untitled Writings from a Member of the Blank Generation. Philip’s poems run the gamut from perplexing randomness, to the startling clear (as in the new poems mentioned above). The numbered (hence, “untitled”) pieces from the book often sounded like cut-up or shuffled lines, many quite stunning juxtapositions & frequently ending with a humorous, aphoristic punchline (e.g., “Let us please learn something useless everyday.” #41). He even took requests from the audience (I resisted the temptation to shout out a random number).

This wonderful group gathers on the 4th Sunday (usually) of the month at the Old Songs Community Center in Voorheesville, NY at 3PM, with a featured poet & an open mic. Worth the trip from almost anywhere.

While the fantasy tour bus filled with dancing girls circled the block looking for a parking space, the rest of the poets gathered to hear the featured poet, Marilyn McCabe, to read in the open mic, & eagerly look forward to sitting on the lap of Sanity Clause. I began by invoking the muse, Enid Dame, with her “Holiday Poem” on the eve of the Solstice.

Photo of Sanity Clause & Alan Catlin by A.C. Everson

Eagerly first up was A.C. Everson with a rhyme about a reluctant Santa (& that was no candy cane in Sanity Clause‘s pocket).   Alan Catlin‘s poem was written in England, “End Time in the Lake District” (for tonight being on the eve of the end of the world). Avery recited his “smile poem,” “From Me to You.” Sylvia Barnard followed the smiles with a somber poem, “Autumn 2012, East Coast America” on Hurricane Sandy & the shooting in Newtown.

The featured poet was Marilyn McCabe, in the middle of a cold, started with the poem “Perseveration” from her book Perpetual Motion (The Word Works, 2012), followed by “Psalm: It is Dark.” In fact most of the poems she read, with the exception of the last 2, came from her book, & mostly from the section titled “Problems and Affinities.” They generally dealt with what she called her “religio-curiosity” about he idea of “God,” in “Hieroglyphs,” “Within Without” (in which she speaks directly to that God), the theme often reflected in the titles: “Burning Bush,” “Lac du Saint Sacrament” (an early name for Lake George), “A Matter of Spirit and Flesh” & “Refuting Buddha” (done by the natural world). “Morning, the Flying Place” & her last poem “The Details” (which she described as “the culmination of her belief system”) were about finding prayer around her in the natural world. Despite a nagging cough at the end, she gave a wonderfully constructed, meditative reading.

After the break I read a poem about school shooting in 2006, based on a pair of newspaper articles, “Secrecy Guards Oldest Pine…” Joe Krausman read a poem for the Solstice, for light in the darkness, & partying with wine & beer. Anthony Bernini‘s poem was “a lose-end” observing a woman in “Sensible Pumps.” Alan Casline read a poem written yesterday “Cup of Sorrows.” W.D. Clarke read one of his ballads, this about his obsession with “Dollar Store Glasses.” A new poet in the house, Indie, read a love poem, “I Want to Know You.” Joanne (Jan) Farrell read a short excerpt from her historical novel, Liberty for the Lion Shield (Xulon Press, 2009). Another writer of fiction, Julie Lomoe read some haiku from walking her dog, Sirius.  Bob Elmendorf hasn’t read here in quite a while, tonight read his poem “The Photographer” looking for light in the Winter.

Photo of Sanity Clause with Sally Rhoades by A.C. Everson

Sally Rhoades‘ poem, “High Water Mark,” was a recent one about visiting her daughter in Washington, DC.

I won’t say that this is the “longest-running” poetry series in Albany, but it has been continuous on the third Thursday of each month since December 1997, in various venues, & now at the Social Justice Center since 2006. Open mic, with a featured poet, & a $3.00 donation supports poetry programs here in Albany & supports the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany.

Students in the brand-new MFA in writing program at the College of St. Rose came down off the metaphoric hill to Lark St. during the First Friday Art Walk for the first of what’s promised as a new monthly open mic at Ben & Jerry’s. The reading was…

I like to be on time, particularly for open mics where I plan to read, so that I can hear the other poets on the sign-up sheet. Actually Don & I were on time in Saratoga, just that Hattie’s Chicken Shack was not on time with our dinners. So we got next door to Lena’s as the first featured poet was reading, & we missed the first chunk of open mic poets — sorry.

Lynn Ciesielski has a new book out from FootHills Publishing, I Speak in Tongues & included a number of poems from the chapbook, as well as others not in the book. “How to Let Go of a Grown Child” is a Mom’s list, tender & funny. Equally tender, but sad was a poem about an octogenarian former professor, “Chaos Theory.” In “Let the Whistle Blow” the poet thought of her ashes being tossed on the train tracks to be scattered far & wide. Other poems were set in travel locations, such as the ironic feminist come-uppance of “Practicing Spanish at a Seaside Bar in Cancun,” or the less frantic “Two Legs Toward Liverpool.” She ended with the sexy & humorous love poem to her husband (dutifully tonight videoing her reading from his phone), “Pizza Again.”

AlbanyPoets el presidente Thom Francis was the night’s other featured poet, surrounded by his adoring entourage. He said he was reading “mostly new” poems, a relative term to some of us who have heard some of these recent poems at open mics. He began with “At this Moment,” then on to the portrait of sad characters at the “Bar.” The poem “Stuck,” about Time, was written at work (haven’t we all), while “Run” examined the power of leaders, cult or otherwise. A particular favorite of mine is “Easter Visit” about a visit to his grandfather in the hospital. The one older poem was “Hero,” an ironic portrait of his father as an anti-role model. He said he has been working on “Walk” for 8 or 9 months, a sad portrait of a friend. He ended with another new favorite, a love poem to his insulin pump, “Machine.” It certainly was, as Thom described it, “the most personal reading I have ever done.”  Good too.

After the break Carol Graser read “Out of Crackers” from her book, The Wild Twist of Their Stems. Then on to the rest of the open mic.

W.D. Clarke was back with another of his rhymed ballads of black humor, the story of a farting corpse, “Saint Shorty.” Barbara Garro‘s poem “Blessing Bridges” was positive & up-lifting & “Wings” referenced the Sufi mystic poet Rumi. Don Levy dedicated his poem, “The Queen,” to Thom Francis, then went on to explain “How I Know My Muse is a Gay Man,” characteristic Don Levy gay & pop culture humor. I followed with 2 recent poems, the scary “This is Not Trick or Treat” & the true story of a failed Saratoga Springs love affair, “Adirondack Life.”

Tess Lecuyer, who will be one of January’s featured poets (with Kingston/Albany poet Cheryl A. Rice) read a list of a month’s worth of specific prompts for poems, “Prompt Dates.” Michael, who has read here in the past, but not recently, was back with 2 untitled poems, one remembering his father, the other perhaps about the force of desire, like walking on lava. Andrew‘s poem was a philosophical, modern dialogue appropriately titled “Said Socrates,” while his 2nd poem was shorter, but with a longer title.

The last poet up, Leslie Nestor, was a (poetry) virgin (!) but you’d never know it from her poems, the wonderfully sexy “This Shirt” & the more involved “To Our Friend Who is in Pain…” advice to a friend suffering through the pain of a lost love.

Accomplished poets, dabblers, & virgins, that’s what a poetry open mic is all about. The open mic at historic Caffè Lena is held on the 1st Wednesday of each month, 7:00 sign-up, 7:30 pm start, only $5.00, bring a couple poems to read.

Barbara Ungar & Jeanne FlanaganThis was a noon-time reading held in the Massry Center Gallery at the College of St. Rose in Albany by the students in the first class of the new MFA in writing program, an advanced poetry workshop. The reading was o…